Miyazaki Airport Hit by WWII Bomb Explosion, 80 Flights Affected
An unexploded U.S. bomb from World War II exploded at Miyazaki Airport in Japan on Wednesday. The explosion created a large crater in a taxiway and resulted in the cancellation of over 80 flights, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Japanese Land and Transport Ministry officials confirmed that no aircraft were nearby during the explosion. An investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police revealed that a 500-pound bomb caused the explosion. They are now working to determine why it detonated suddenly.
A video from a nearby aviation school captured the blast, showing asphalt being launched into the air like a fountain. Japanese television later broadcast images of the crater, approximately 7 yards wide and 3 feet deep.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced the cancellation of more than 80 flights at the airport. He added that the airport plans to resume operations by Thursday morning. "There is no threat of a second explosion, and police and firefighters are currently examining the scene," Hayashi said.
Miyazaki Airport was initially built in 1943 as a training field for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Some kamikaze pilots launched their suicide missions from this site. Unexploded bombs from World War II have been discovered in the area before, with Defense Ministry officials noting previous finds at nearby construction sites in 2009 and 2011.
Japan still has hundreds of tons of unexploded ordnance buried from the war. Last year, a total of 2,348 bombs weighing 41 tons were disposed of during fiscal year 2023, according to the Self-Defense Force.
In a separate incident, a World War II bomb in England exploded during an "unplanned" detonation, highlighting the ongoing risks associated with these old munitions.
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